The present invention relates generally to orthopedic appliances and more particularly to a motion restraining brace for restricting the pivotal motion of a patient's joint.
Joint injuries, including injuries to the knee and elbow, and knee and elbow surgery, often make it necessary to restrict pivotal motion of the joint to a predetermined angular range while the joint heals. This pivotal restraint is typically accomplished by a joint motion restraining brace having a pair of articulated side portions positionable on opposite lateral sides of the leg. Each of these side portions is conventionally defined by elongated support members which are pivotally connected at one end by an adjustable hinge mechanism which is positionable on one side of the joint. The restraining arms of such a brace are secured to their associated arm or leg portion by straps and cushion pad members which encircle the leg or arm and may be adjustably tightened or loosened against the leg or arm to hold the support members firmly in place. The hinge mechanisms are typically adjustable to selectively limit the relative pivotal motion between the interconnected support members on opposite sides of the leg to thereby limit the pivotal motion of the human joint to a predetermined angular range. Thus, it may be medically necessary to restrict the movement of the joint to a pivotal range extending between a 30 degree and a 90 degree angle. The hinge mechanisms can be adjusted to limit the relative pivotal motion of each of the interconnected support members to this range.
It has been common to use pairs of conventional knee braces of this general type which have proven to be beneficial in protecting knee joints following an injury thereto or surgery thereon. These knee braces have typically had a variety of problems resulting from the complexity of the adjustable hinge for the brace. The present invention is directed towards a single angle restricting joint brace which can be easily and rapidly adjusted for varying the pivotal angle that the joint can be rotated. The angle can be adjusted as desired during the healing period or for different patients. One of the problems with prior braces is the interconnecting hinge of each of a pair of support members which has been somewhat awkward and laborous to adjust and has been prone to undesirable slippage.
One prior art Bledsoe, U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,588, teaches a motion restraining knee brace having a pair of articulated side portions each defined by elongated thigh and calf support members pivotally interconnected by an adjustable hinge mechanism. Each hinge mechanism has a single adjustment dial that cooperates with a pair of stop members to selectively limit the relative pivotal movement between the thigh and calf support members associated with the hinge. The support members are securable to the leg by connecting straps which encircle the leg and have independently adjustable anterior and posterior portions. This motion restraining knee brace is, however, somewhat complex for use in many elbow and knee injuries and following many types of joint surgery.
The present invention simplifies the motion restraining brace especially for use on the elbow and knee following joint injuries or surgery.